In a groundbreaking David vs. Goliath lawsuit, 46-year old Dewayne Lee Johnson who is terminally ill sued Monsanto, now a unit of Bayer AG, and was just awarded $289 Million. While there have been other lawsuits attempting to link Monsanto’s flagship product RoundUp to cancer, this is the first lawsuit that added the allegation that Monsanto has been involved in a lengthy coverup to showcase its glyphosate-containing products as safe when they may indeed be causing cancer.

Said one of Dewayne Johnson’s lawyers, Brett Wisner in his closing arguments for the case, “Today is their day of reckoning…This is the day Monsanto is finally held accountable. And, this is the beginning of that day.”

In addition to the case between Johnson and Monsanto, Wisner is likely referring to the many other lawsuits the company will now face as a result of the jury’s decision in favor of Dewayne Johnson. The jury found a sufficient link between RoundUp’s primary ingredient glyphosate and cancer, as well as evidence to suggest that Monsanto knew of the link between its product and cancer but still participated in a decades-long coverup.

Although there are many scientific studies linking glyphosate to cancer, Monsanto’s Vice-President of Global Strategy, Scott Partridge claimed in the lawsuit that “there is no science and there is no medicine that support’s the plaintiff’s position.” It is unlikely that Partridge has sufficient scientific or medical background to make such a claim and clearly the jury didn’t agree with his unfounded opinion when they awarded Johnson the victory.

While it is unlikely that Johnson will see the money he was awarded he can feel proud that he used his final months of life to tackle the chemical giant through his lawsuit. A groundskeeper at Venicia Unified School District, Johnson sprayed 150 gallons of RoundUp, 20 to 30 times per year across multiple years. Although he wore protective clothing when he sprayed the chemical he still sustained lesions on over 80% of his body and a terminal non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis several months ago. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a network of nodes, tubes, and glands that filter waste products from the tissues of the body.

Glyphosate was established as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015—a decision its International Agency for Research of Cancer reached after an expansive review of approximately 1000 studies.

Based on the verdict in the lawsuit Monsanto needs to be subjected to a thorough investigation and its glyphosate products like Roundup and Roundup Ready corn eliminated from the market, not to mention that its executives should face possible criminal charges for their involvement in the possible cover-up linking RoundUp to cancer.

Monsanto may face countless additional lawsuits as more and more people with cancer diagnoses come forward.

Glyphosate has been found in many common foods. According to a study conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) the highest amount of glyphosate is found on foods most people might never suspect as problematic. Their study also found that nearly one-third of all foods tested contain the potential carcinogen, glyphosate.

While toxic chemicals have become commonplace, we should not accept the possible poisoning of people as normal or acceptable. Not only should Monsanto be held accountable for their potentially criminal actions, the Environmental Protection Agency should be the subject of an independent investigation for their possible role in contributing to the alleged cover-up and for their role in the thousands or more cancer diagnoses that may be linked to the product that is still available on the market.

Additionally, distributors and retailers selling the toxic product need to stop selling it to unsuspecting consumers, otherwise recognize their own complicity in the widespread cancer epidemic.

But as for Monsanto and Bayer AG, today truly is the beginning of their “day of reckoning” as Johnson’s lawyer said.